International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

IIED is inviting proposals for original research that can contribute to
our understanding of the links between humanitarian response and
development goals, with specific reference to urban humanitarian crises.

With funding from the Department for International Development (DFID), the IIED Urban Crises Learning Fund aims to build an in-depth understanding of how the humanitarian sector can most effectively operate in urban contexts.

The
fund seeks to fill evidence gaps through primary research, reflecting
on past humanitarian responses, developing new tools, and learning from
experiences in other fields. It aims to develop a better understanding
of how the humanitarian sector can most effectively operate in urban
contexts and work with urban actors – an imperative in an increasingly
urban world facing both slow- and fast-onset crises, from food shortages
to conflict and natural disasters.

This work aims to inform the
activities of 'operational' organisations, and to provide useable
lessons for local governments, national and international NGOs and
bilateral funding agencies. Further details of the Urban Crises Learning
Fund

This is the final call in a series of thematic calls for research
proposals. Previous calls focused on projects looking at effective
collaboration in urban humanitarian responses, protecting vulnerable
people, and local markets in times of urban crisis.

Focus: links between humanitarian and development responses in urban contexts

The focus of this call is on the interface between humanitarian and developmental responses in the context of urban crises.

The
response and recovery phases of crises can provide opportunities to
address underlying drivers of vulnerability and to develop local
capacity, particularly in urban settings where local stakeholders such
as municipalities may be closely involved.

Resilience-building is
increasingly used to link development goals with humanitarian
interventions – but the social and political contexts of crisis-affected
countries may limit its effectiveness. In complex urban settings this
may be even more the case.

This research call seeks to understand
how humanitarian response can and has contributed to development goals
in urban contexts. Indicative topics or themes might include, but are
not limited to, examining and analysing:

Ways in which
emergency responses and interventions can also address underlying
vulnerabilities in situations of slow onset crises as well as sudden
onset shocks

The role of community-based approaches as a developmental resource in early recovery

Post-displacement development strategies for host and displaced populations

The role of adaptive programming in situations of complexity and rapid change, and

The challenge of coordination at the sub-national level, and how humanitarian and development coordination can be interlinked.

This
call is open to researchers and practitioners globally, whether
independent or part of an organisation in the public, non-profit or
private sector.

There are no restrictions on the location of the
study, or on the type of humanitarian crisis being addressed, as long as
studies contribute new evidence and understanding. We particularly
welcome the collection of new primary data. The research should be
framed in such a way that it is relevant to local governments, national
and international NGOs, and other actors in the field of urban
humanitarian response.

We particularly encourage proposals that support local participation in the co-production of knowledge.

Further information

We expect to fund around five projects with budgets in the range of GBP £15,000-30,000 per project in this call

Successful
applicants will be expected to produce a working paper (up to 15,000
words) and a policy briefing paper (2,000 words) to be published in
English as an IIED product (with appropriate co-branding as relevant)

IIED will facilitate a process of review of the working papers and will provide editorial support in the publication process

We
expect each research project to last between three to six months, with
an expected contract start date of 20 December 2016 and submission of
final draft outputs by 30 June, 2017, and

We encourage collaborative research projects where local partners play a substantial role in the study process.